Squads
South Tyneside Swim Club consists of 5 main Competitive Squads and also Club Squads that cater for those swimmers who are learning and those who wish to continue to swim non-competitively.
If you are interested in joining South Tyneside Swimming Club please use our Contact Page to request more information.
Club Squads
Club Squads train at Hebburn Central pool and Jarrow School pool. These sessions cater for a range of swimmers from initial swimming lessons, to those refining their technique in Pre-competition squads.
Competition Squads
Squad training sessions take place at Hebburn Central pool, Jarrow School pool, Haven Point at South Shields and Boldon School pool. We also use Boldon School sports hall and studios at Haven Point for Land Training.
Each year the swimming club also select members of each squad to compete in the Junior League.
South Tyneside Training Philosophy
South Tyneside Swimming Club complies with the British Swimming/ASA Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model for swimming. The training programme on both land and in the pool will be progressive as swimmers move through the squad system. This will encourage all swimmers to reach their own maximum individual potential as the training load increases. LTAD is about achieving optimal training, competition and recovery throughout an athlete’s career. If this approach is not adopted there is likely to be a plateau. The aerobic development of swimmers is paramount in achieving success, and must be done prior to maturation for the best effects to take place. Consistency of training is the best possible way to improve and progress without this it may result in the performance of some swimmers getting worse, and could lead to drop out. It is essential that each swimmer maximises there training time to be successful and achieve their potential. Maintaining a correct balance of training programme laid down by the coaches will lead to a consistent progressive improvement and swimmers more likely to achieve their set goals and aspirations.
Club Aims and Objectives
- Develop swimmers to an elite level and achieve their full potential
- Provide a balanced and progressive training programme in the pool and on land. This will be in line with the ASA and British Swimmers Long Term Athlete Development models.
- Development of appropriate behaviour and responsibilities within a training and group environment.
- Develop leadership and time management skills to produce a competent athlete able to balance school, swimming and social aspects of life.
- Develop greater individual responsibility for swimming commitment and performance.
- Develop and improve aerobic conditioning.
- Develop and improve basic speed.
- Development of technical and mental skills to assist and improve performance.
- Develop technique of all four strokes.
- Develop tactical and pacing skills for competitive racing.
- Develop and instigate appropriate competition plan.
Criteria
Entry to each squad will be based on the following in order of priority:-
1. Attendance: All swimmers must commit to attendance levels laid down for each of the four squads and be punctual on all occasions. All land-training sessions must be attended as well as Friday and Monday sessions when competing in weekend competition, unless the coach has granted permission.
2. Commitment: This will be identified in both training (80% attendance) and competition. Swimmers of eligible age are required to swim at a minimum of 4 competitive galas per season. All swimmers will only enter competition as agreed by the Coaches.
3. Attitude: Swimmers must show an excellent attitude towards training and competition, their squad teammates and coaching staff. Swimmers must wear full club uniform at all competitions and full Club Tracksuit at presentation of awards and for travel to and from competition.
4. Ability: All swimmers must show they have good all round technical ability in each squad as they progress and the ability to maintain squad training pace.
Additional Qualification Criteria for P Squad
12yrs &under must achieve or be within 5% of an ND time*
13yrs &over must achieve or be within 3% of an ND time*
Circumstances for qualification:
- A swimmer can move into P Squad automatically between November and January if an ND time* is achieved outright.
- Movement into P Squad on the basis of 5% or 3% can only happen between September and November to give the swimmer enough time to achieve the actual qualification time*.
- After the deadline for ND has passed (January) swimmers can move into P Squad on the basis of 5% or 3% of the N&D time for their age group in the following year.
The ND times used will be the ones available at the current time. If no new ND times are available in September, the old ones will be used until new ones are released.
* The age group a swimmer must qualify for is the age they will be on 31st of December in the same calendar year the ND's will take place. For example, a swimmer who is 13 in September 2018 will need to achieve 14-year-old qualifying times if they turn 14 between January 2019 and December 2019 (ND's take place in February).
Exit Criteria
• Consistently unable to maintain the training commitment and attendance levels.
• Showing no demonstrable progress toward achieving goals set by coaches.
• Not adhering to squad criteria and rules.
• Not adhering to the Club Code of Conduct.
• P Squad swimmers who do not maintain the relevant QT % by the deadline set by coach can be moved out of P Squad.
HAVING SATISFIED THE CRITERIA DOES NOT MEAN AUTOMATIC SELECTION OR PLACEMENT IN A SQUAD
ALL SQUAD MOVEMENT WILL BE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE HEAD COACH
Information and news specific to each squad can be found by selecting a squad from the list on the right.
Squad News
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Posted on
Friday, June 17, 2022
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Squads
A Junior League selection session will be held at Boldon on Thursday the 30th of June 4.30-6.30pm. This will be open to all Squad swimmers age 9 by the 31st of December, up to age 13 by the 31st of December. Click on more for further info.
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Posted on
Monday, May 30, 2022
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Squads
Training changes for this week:
There will be no training for any squad on Thursday the 2nd, Friday the 3rd or Sunday the 5th of June, due to the bank holiday weekend. Saturday morning at Haven Point will run as normal 7-9am for P, B and C squad. D squad will also train in that session 8-9am. The session will be a skills session for the second hour with all squads involved. All other squad training will run as normal this week.
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Posted on
Tuesday, May 10, 2022
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Squads
Well done to our Swimmers of the Month for April 👏🏻
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Junior League is back! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Good luck guys! Go smash it 🏊🏼♂️🏊♀️
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Posted on
Thursday, April 21, 2022
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Squads
Well done to our Swimmers of the Month for March 👏🏻
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Posted on
Saturday, March 12, 2022
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Squads
Well done to our February Swimmers of the Month 👏🏻
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Posted on
Monday, February 21, 2022
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Squads
Our Swimmers of the Month for January! Well done 👏🏻
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Posted on
Monday, April 20, 2020
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Squads
I guess a few didn’t like the look of that one 😆
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Posted on
Monday, April 20, 2020
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Squads

Can’t believe we are up to 10! Hope everyone is still safe and well. As you can tell I have given up trying to keep kids and dogs in check while doing these so sorry for the chaos once again! Same as the last workout and I have kept the jump ropes in as an easier one. So 6 rounds in pyramid format. Shuttle runs are 3 metre distance again.
Times in by 8.30pm please. Good luck.
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Posted on
Friday, April 17, 2020
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Squads
Mixed bag of times today, I forget not everyone is my swimmer and knows how to read my sets! Some of you ended up doing it twice and now aren’t speaking to me 😆. Some are just fast and did speedy times, some were just plain confused, either way well done everyone!